Timeline

Applicant

• The agency shall submit an application for ESA Accreditation and include the non-refundable application fee, plus the first year’s accreditation dues for the agency and any schools operated by the agency to AdvancED Finance Department, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033.
• Upon receipt of the application, AdvancED sends the agency head a Readiness Letter describing the expectations for the Readiness Visit, along with a Self-Assessment of Readiness for Accreditation tool.
• The AdvancED Office of Accreditation, in cooperation with the State Office, assigns a contact person to provide support and assistance to the agency as needed.

• The Office of Accreditation and the State Office work with the agency to coordinate the Readiness Visit to the agency. The purpose of the visit is to determine the agency's capacity to pursue ESA Accreditation.
• The agency completes the Self-Assessment of Readiness for Accreditation January 4, 2011 prior to the Readiness Visit,May 23, 2011
• Following the Readiness Visit, the AdvancED representative communicates the findings of the visit by completing the Readiness Report, sending it to the State Office and Office of Accreditation.
• Following a successful Readiness Visit and receipt of the Readiness Report, AdvancED sends the Readiness Report and a Candidacy Letter to the agency head, along with a form requesting three possible dates for the External Review. The letter moves the agency into Candidacy status.
• For ESAs recommended to remain in Applicant status, the Office of Accreditation sends the Readiness Report to the agency with a cover letter highlighting the areas the ESA needs to address. ESAs can remain in Applicant status for no more than two years.

Candidacy

• By the time of the External Review, all schools operated by the agency must be accredited or candidates for accreditation. The State Office works with the agency to develop a plan for bringing any schools that are not accredited or candidates into the process.

• Schedule the visit.
  • At least six months prior to the desired timeframe for the visit, the agency identifies and sends to the Office of Accreditation for AdvancED (PO Box 871008, Tempe, AZ 85287-1008) up to three dates (in preferred order) for hosting the Quality Assurance Review (QAR). The visit should be conducted within 18 months of entering candidacy. Feb 6 2012
  • Upon receipt of the letter requesting to schedule the visit, AdvancED selects and communicates the dates for the visit to the agency. The QAR date confirmation letter provides detailed instructions for preparing for the review and includes the amount of the QAR visit fee that is assessed following the visit to help defray the costs of managing and coordinating the visit.

• Work with the External Review Lead Evaluator and Associate Lead Evaluator.
  • AdvancED appoints a Lead Evaluator for the visit approximately three months prior to the visit. Team members and an Associate Lead Evaluator are also appointed. To the extent possible, some team members will be from outside the state including the ER Lead Evaluator. AdvancED provides the agency with the names and contact information for all team members.
  • The ER Lead Evaluator and Associate Lead Evaluator work with the agency to ensure that the agency is prepared to receive the ER Team.

• Prepare for the visit.
  • The agency prepares for the visit by notifying the agency’s community, making available evidence to share with the team to demonstrate adherence to the standards, coordinating individuals to be interviewed by the team, making appropriate logistical arrangements for the team members, coordinating the visit schedule with the ER Lead Evaluator, and ensuring that the agency and members of the governing board are accessible for the visit.

• Complete the Accreditation Report.
  • The agency completes the Standards Assessment Report involving all constituents and stakeholders in the agency’s service area. The Standards Assessment Report engages the agency in a comprehensive review of each of the seven AdvancED standards. It serves to prepare the agency for the Quality Assurance Review and becomes the basis of the review team's work. The agency may share and receive feedback on the report with the State Office contact person.
  • The agency submits the Standards Assessment Report to the Office of Accreditation for AdvancED (PO Box 871008, Tempe, AZ 85287-1008) and the QAR Team Chair approximately six weeks prior to the scheduled Quality Assurance Review Visit. Feb 2013

• Host the QAR Team and receive the team report. Apr 21-24 2013
  • The agency hosts the visit and receives the oral exit report. It is expected that the oral exit report will be delivered to the governing board and agency head at a public meeting of the board.
  • The External Review Lead Evaluator prepares the written report of the visit and submits it to Office of Accreditation for AdvancED (PO Box 871008, Tempe, AZ 85287-1008) for review by an AdvancED Reader who reviews the report to ensure quality.
  • The final report is submitted to the agency, State Office, and External Review Lead Evaluator. The ER Team's recommended accreditation status is submitted to AdvancED for national review and action.

• Submit payment of the invoice for team member reimbursement and the ESA Accreditation External Review fee.
  • Within 30 days of the conclusion of the visit, the agency will receive the written report of the External Review Team and an invoice for the travel reimbursement of team members and the ESA External Review fee. This fee is assessed once every five years to defray some of the costs associated with preparing and coordinating the visit.

• Upon receipt of the written report, the agency communicates the External Review Team's findings to the governing board and community.
• When the agency's accreditation status is reviewed and acted upon at the national level, the agency communicates its final accreditation status to the community.

Accredited (Ongoing Steps)

• The agency acts on the report recommendations as part of its continuous improvement efforts.

• The agency and any schools it operates must maintain adherence to the AdvancED standards and regularly self-assess itself against the standards.
• The agency and any schools it operates must engage in continuous improvement.
• The agency provides AdvancED with accurate and up-to-date contact information and demographics for the agency and its schools.
• The State Office provides support and professional development opportunities to assist the agency in its continuous improvement efforts.

• Two years following the External Review, AdvancED sends a letter to the agency head requesting an Accreditation Progress Report detailing the agency’s progress in addressing the recommendations from the External Review Team Report.
• The agency completes the report and submits it to the Office of Accreditation for AdvancED (PO Box 871008, Tempe AZ 85287) for review and action at the national level.
• The final accreditation action is transmitted to the agency and State Office.
• The agency shares its accreditation status with its constituents and other stakeholders.
• The agency continues to meet the AdvancED standards, engage in continuous improvement, and host Quality Assurance Reviews once every five years.